


Validation

by galaxyostars



Series: The DMC Collection [9]
Category: Devil May Cry
Genre: DMC Hanami Week, Dante (Devil May Cry) is a Sweetheart, Disappointment, Life Lessons, Mentioned Nero (Devil May Cry), Small motivational speech
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-13
Updated: 2020-04-13
Packaged: 2021-03-02 05:08:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,137
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23629768
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/galaxyostars/pseuds/galaxyostars
Summary: “I just…” Patty dropped the garment onto the couch next to her and discarded the needle and thread. She crossed her arms over herself, innocent eyes flickering to Dante. “This is a big deal to me.”“Your course?”“Yeah,” she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “I worked my ass off all year for this. There were nights I stayed up until mid-day working, I lived on mac and cheese for almost two weeks straight, I… I learned how to work in a team and pushed hard for my high distinctions… This is what I want to do with my life, but it’s like no one recognises the effort I put in.”…I am not equipped for this.
Relationships: Dante & Patty Lowell
Series: The DMC Collection [9]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1387243
Comments: 4
Kudos: 82





	Validation

**Author's Note:**

> Happy Hanami Week! Today's prompt: Dream/Aspiration (Motivation).

“…and frankly, I thought Gorgio was useless. I mean, by that point the rest of us had taken initiative and started making edits and adjustments to draft pieces already during the month I was sick – I even had to go in during the holiday to get my edits _done_ – but three weeks before the deadline, she comes up to me and asks ‘why haven’t you assigned anything to me?’ and I realised _oh shit, she’s done absolutely nothing._ How could Peter possibly pass her? Her submissions were horrendous, she’s got no ambition, and she was always late or a no-show to classes…”

Dante rested a magazine on his face. The pages did nothing to drown out the nineteen-year-old woman sewing something together, seated on his couch. Patty was in proper form today. Her self-made multi-coloured dress covered in floral patches and thick stitches was an intriguing representation of her chatterbox tendency, a stylish mix-match of patterns he was sure Lady or Trish wouldn’t be caught dead in. He decided it was a fashion statement of her own. Patty was trying out new looks, growing into her own sense of self. It was normal – he’d even seen Nero have a phase like that.

But Dante wasn’t sure why she was _here_. It looked like Patty was working on some kind of project, so he’d chalked up her arrival as needing a new study venue or something. She’d dragged an entire suitcase of old garments behind her and plucked out a small sewing kit. She’d gotten good at textile work over the years and had even patched up a few of Dante’s shirts (though he refused to give her his leathers). Before Dante knew it, she’d opened her mouth and didn’t stop _talking_.

He wasn’t even sure what she was talking _about_ – and he felt bad about that. He might have only spent two, three months away from society, but a lot had happened during that time for Patty. She’d gotten a room-mate (having moved away from her mother’s place before the Qliphoth happened), took up studying, even had a few boyfriends for a week before they all inevitably fell through. She’d also held a job for a short period, though Dante had no idea what it entailed – just that she didn’t care for it and quit.

Patty existed on another plane of human life. She knew about demons and how to defend herself against them (and to _contact Dante so she doesn’t have to defend herself against them_ ) but there was a firm wall between his and her lives. It wasn’t uncharacteristic for her to be here on an hour-long rant about something Dante didn’t really understand, but this time felt… different. There was an aura about her that suggested something else was going on.

He tried to read between the lines, to think on the hidden meaning of her words. But there was just… _so many words_ …

“Anyway, you’ll come, right?”

Blue eyes snapped back to the blonde on his couch. Her hands had stilled, eyes fixed on him with an expected gaze. He blinked and sat forward on his chair. “…come to what?”

Her shoulders fell. “To my graduation? I finished my course!”

“Oh. Congrats.”

Patty glanced away. Disappointment etched across her face, and Dante’s heart broke in two. He’d done something wrong. _Shit_. How does Nero do this on a daily basis? Dante’s time with Patty was always broken up in chunks – and frankly, she was easier to console when she was younger: she’d built up a wall of attitude to protect herself from all the crap dished out to her in her youth. It’d given Dante necessary experience – Nero wasn’t easy to deal with at nineteen, either, and the mid-teenaged Patty (among other things) had prepared him for Nero’s aggressive tendencies.

“Patty, why are you here?”

The young lady raised the garment she was putting together with a weak smile, as if it was a credible answer to his question. “Just finishing up a side-project.”

“…you can do that at home, can’t you?”

“I mean… yeah, but… I can also get it done here, right?”

Sure. Dante didn’t really care what she wanted to do in Devil May Cry – so long as she didn’t make the place _pink_ and frilly – but she only showed up when she wanted something from Dante specifically or if she needed peace and quiet. Sure, she talked a lot when she showed up and when she packed down to leave… but never while she was working.

“I just…” Patty dropped the garment onto the couch next to her and discarded the needle and thread. She crossed her arms over herself, innocent eyes flickering to Dante. “This is a big deal to me.”

“Your course?”

“Yeah,” she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “I worked my ass off _all year_ for this. There were nights I stayed up until mid-day working, I lived on mac and cheese for almost two weeks straight, I… I learned how to work in a team and pushed _hard_ for my high distinctions… This is what I want to do with my life, but it’s like no one recognises the effort I put in.”

 _…I am not equipped for this_. Dante gave a long breath, leaning back in his chair and tapping his fingers against his desk. “I’m sorry.”

Patty emitted an abrupt sigh, a sharp eyebrow rising. “Don’t be ridiculous. You have nothing to be sorry for. You’re _you_.”

The devil hunter cracked a grin. “No, it’s like you said. You worked hard for this. And you should be _very_ proud of yourself for that,” he paused. “But Patty… I know it sucks to high Hell, and it’s probably not what you want to hear… but the world doesn’t operate on praise. Praise for the job comes from simple things. Like being paid.”

 _Cash in hand is the biggest praise_ … Whenever he was paid in cheque or something else obscene, he used to criticise himself. Obviously he’d done something to upset someone, right? Well… no, actually. It was just a sign of the times. 

“Yeah…”

“You want my advice?”

Patty hesitated, tears welling in her eyes. “Maybe.”

“If this is what you want to do with your life, find your validation in the work you do for _yourself_ ,” he said with earnest. “You are your own biggest fanboy. Treat yourself like it.”

She smiled, wiping her eyes with her sleeve. “Thanks, Dante.”

He chuckled, standing from his chair and reaching for his coat. He left his sword behind, striding to the doors of Devil May Cry. “Come on, let’s get out of here.”

Patty rushed to stand and follow him. “What? Where are we going?”

“I want ice cream. And you got a diploma. There’s no better excuse to get a sundae.”


End file.
